11-03-2016, 05:07 PM
Short one setting up the next part
Dress Rehearsal: Once the personnel issue was resolved the next step was to train the squadron. Since Frankreich was a quiet area the only options were war games. The first such training scenario pitted us against one of the CARONS. Our task was to attack and “destroy” at least one carrier. Our opposition was the 343rd CARON. They had two Juno class carriers, two Neptunes, three Venus class escort destroyers, two Tyches and four Aphrodite class frigates. This carrier squadron did not have any Oracle corvettes so, we were going to use that oversight to our advantage.
As usual I met with my senior skippers, ie the Task Force leaders on the command briefing room on the Fortitude. “Morning Ladies, let me be the first to welcome Lady Wendy to our fold, as well as the other new faces, now on to business the deployment to the front is still on schedule so we are going to increase the training tempo. Our first major task is to spar with our sisters in the 343rd.” I paused so the holo tank could fire up showing the 3D projection of the system.
“They are now presently deployed near Aachen and conducting operations against the Argonistias an imaginary ally of the Empire. Our task on behalf of the Argonistaian government is to deprive the aggressor the use of her carriers. Any questions? Ah yes Lady Rita?”
“My Lady are you suggesting that we are going to fight a CARON, that is not possible…”
“Well Lady Rita, it is quite possible and with the right deployment we can decimate a carrier squadron, especially the sorry excuses the Corp bastards employ, but this exercise we are not only testing our ability to take on a carrier squadron but also testing the defenses so when it is for real our own forces know what to expect. Yes Lady Wendy?”
“Ah uh Ma’am, I know you have done some amazing stuff in the past, but I agree with Lady Pitt, this might be a bit more than we can chew.”
“Actually Lady Wendy, I agree but our task is to disrupt carrier operations, not to survive, Now I am not saying we are going in as a suicide, but all assets are expendable as long as at least one of the two carriers is toast. Besides their aerospace what other threats are there Ms. MacDonald?”
“Uh, Ma’am the Juno’s themselves carry secondary armament akin to the Tyche class destroyer, plus the Neptunes, Venuses and Aphrodites all are equipped with their fearsome broadsides. The two Tyche’s are a potential long range threat, especially if we get distracted by the overwhelming aerospace force.” The Intel officette replied
“Right what do we know about the leadership?”
“Baroness Marquez is very conservative she will have her escorts in the standard box format, that is assuming Countess Winton allows her. The RAG is Lady Wilma Durning, she is a big player in the FLS…” Kaptain MacDonald added
“Fascinating but what about her tactics and technique?”
“Oh by the book, actually she lets her wing matriarchs operate independently which means coordination between the two carriers will not be that good.” Wendy chimed in, before someone would say something though accurate, probably not career enhancing.
“Very good, what is complement of offensive platforms on the two carriers?”
“The AISS Immediately has the standard mix of two fighter squadrons, one attack squadron and one interception squadron. That means twenty Tempest most of them B or C versions, and 12 Shaman or possibly JDA bombers. There are 48 warrior and 24 Raptor fighters and interceptors…”
“They are not a concern, how about the other ship?”
“The AISS Injustice has an unorthodox mixture of two Attack Squadrons, one Fighter Squadron, and one Interception squadron. Furthermore the Attack squadrons are all Tempest C or even a few D, that means 48 fast torpedo capable fighters…”
“Right ok this is the game plan, TF 1 and TF 2 are tasked with destruction of the Carriers. TF 3 your task is to destroy the Tyches, with use of the aerospace that survives. TF 4 you will clear out any escorts as well as assist TF 1 and TF 2 with their mission. TF 5 you will continue to be our eyes and ears, do not engage, in fact you will deploy to Aachen two days ahead of the rest of the squadron, so go hide and collect data. IRIS will be used to establish contact Her Code name is Alarm Clock….”
“Yes Lady Rita?”
“Sending the scouts ahead like that is not according to custom….”
“So, we are training to fight and win, and hopefully stay alive, not abiding by custom, the enemy doesn’t do that nor should we. Ok once main body arrives, all of the aerospace will launch, Tempests and Shamans equipped with aerospace missiles. We will fain attacking the carriers with the aerospace but instead they will go hunting the carrier aerospace, I am sure Lady Durning will take the bait and try to wipe out our “strike” package. I want all of our training missiles to be set on pillium that is all that can fit the pillium rail and inventory, the rest will be speculum. Any survivors will return and rearm with torpedoes. In the meantime TF 3 you will do whatever you can to destroy or cripple the Tyche’s. They will probably leave the protective fold of the escorts so to initiate their own attack. Remember the two destroyers are about an even match for your entire TF Lady Grace, so don’t get cute, just smoke ‘em.” I pause as the group laughs, then continue.
“Once the aerospace is knocked back a bit, TF 4 will move to engage the escorts, I want the LAV’s to concentrate on the destroyers and cruisers. Any questions ladies?”
“No Ma’am” was the reply.
“Right, ok to your ships and let’s give those carrier slugs something to think about.”
The exercise went pretty much as predicted we “smoked” one carrier and “seriously damaged” the second. As for the escorts the two Neptunes were knocked out as well as four of the five destroyers. Our losses were two destroyers “lost” plus five of the eight LAV’s. All other ships were “damaged” to one degree or another but overall it was a successful as well as educational training exercise. Which for the women and girls of 35th CTG and especially the 352nd CRURON proved invaluable as we just received our marching orders; we are going back to Goddard. As well as the new RAG for the 35th Aerospace Group, a Lady Barbara Foster-Parker, she was a direct result of the shellacking the mere CRURON did to the CARON.
Dress Rehearsal: Once the personnel issue was resolved the next step was to train the squadron. Since Frankreich was a quiet area the only options were war games. The first such training scenario pitted us against one of the CARONS. Our task was to attack and “destroy” at least one carrier. Our opposition was the 343rd CARON. They had two Juno class carriers, two Neptunes, three Venus class escort destroyers, two Tyches and four Aphrodite class frigates. This carrier squadron did not have any Oracle corvettes so, we were going to use that oversight to our advantage.
As usual I met with my senior skippers, ie the Task Force leaders on the command briefing room on the Fortitude. “Morning Ladies, let me be the first to welcome Lady Wendy to our fold, as well as the other new faces, now on to business the deployment to the front is still on schedule so we are going to increase the training tempo. Our first major task is to spar with our sisters in the 343rd.” I paused so the holo tank could fire up showing the 3D projection of the system.
“They are now presently deployed near Aachen and conducting operations against the Argonistias an imaginary ally of the Empire. Our task on behalf of the Argonistaian government is to deprive the aggressor the use of her carriers. Any questions? Ah yes Lady Rita?”
“My Lady are you suggesting that we are going to fight a CARON, that is not possible…”
“Well Lady Rita, it is quite possible and with the right deployment we can decimate a carrier squadron, especially the sorry excuses the Corp bastards employ, but this exercise we are not only testing our ability to take on a carrier squadron but also testing the defenses so when it is for real our own forces know what to expect. Yes Lady Wendy?”
“Ah uh Ma’am, I know you have done some amazing stuff in the past, but I agree with Lady Pitt, this might be a bit more than we can chew.”
“Actually Lady Wendy, I agree but our task is to disrupt carrier operations, not to survive, Now I am not saying we are going in as a suicide, but all assets are expendable as long as at least one of the two carriers is toast. Besides their aerospace what other threats are there Ms. MacDonald?”
“Uh, Ma’am the Juno’s themselves carry secondary armament akin to the Tyche class destroyer, plus the Neptunes, Venuses and Aphrodites all are equipped with their fearsome broadsides. The two Tyche’s are a potential long range threat, especially if we get distracted by the overwhelming aerospace force.” The Intel officette replied
“Right what do we know about the leadership?”
“Baroness Marquez is very conservative she will have her escorts in the standard box format, that is assuming Countess Winton allows her. The RAG is Lady Wilma Durning, she is a big player in the FLS…” Kaptain MacDonald added
“Fascinating but what about her tactics and technique?”
“Oh by the book, actually she lets her wing matriarchs operate independently which means coordination between the two carriers will not be that good.” Wendy chimed in, before someone would say something though accurate, probably not career enhancing.
“Very good, what is complement of offensive platforms on the two carriers?”
“The AISS Immediately has the standard mix of two fighter squadrons, one attack squadron and one interception squadron. That means twenty Tempest most of them B or C versions, and 12 Shaman or possibly JDA bombers. There are 48 warrior and 24 Raptor fighters and interceptors…”
“They are not a concern, how about the other ship?”
“The AISS Injustice has an unorthodox mixture of two Attack Squadrons, one Fighter Squadron, and one Interception squadron. Furthermore the Attack squadrons are all Tempest C or even a few D, that means 48 fast torpedo capable fighters…”
“Right ok this is the game plan, TF 1 and TF 2 are tasked with destruction of the Carriers. TF 3 your task is to destroy the Tyches, with use of the aerospace that survives. TF 4 you will clear out any escorts as well as assist TF 1 and TF 2 with their mission. TF 5 you will continue to be our eyes and ears, do not engage, in fact you will deploy to Aachen two days ahead of the rest of the squadron, so go hide and collect data. IRIS will be used to establish contact Her Code name is Alarm Clock….”
“Yes Lady Rita?”
“Sending the scouts ahead like that is not according to custom….”
“So, we are training to fight and win, and hopefully stay alive, not abiding by custom, the enemy doesn’t do that nor should we. Ok once main body arrives, all of the aerospace will launch, Tempests and Shamans equipped with aerospace missiles. We will fain attacking the carriers with the aerospace but instead they will go hunting the carrier aerospace, I am sure Lady Durning will take the bait and try to wipe out our “strike” package. I want all of our training missiles to be set on pillium that is all that can fit the pillium rail and inventory, the rest will be speculum. Any survivors will return and rearm with torpedoes. In the meantime TF 3 you will do whatever you can to destroy or cripple the Tyche’s. They will probably leave the protective fold of the escorts so to initiate their own attack. Remember the two destroyers are about an even match for your entire TF Lady Grace, so don’t get cute, just smoke ‘em.” I pause as the group laughs, then continue.
“Once the aerospace is knocked back a bit, TF 4 will move to engage the escorts, I want the LAV’s to concentrate on the destroyers and cruisers. Any questions ladies?”
“No Ma’am” was the reply.
“Right, ok to your ships and let’s give those carrier slugs something to think about.”
The exercise went pretty much as predicted we “smoked” one carrier and “seriously damaged” the second. As for the escorts the two Neptunes were knocked out as well as four of the five destroyers. Our losses were two destroyers “lost” plus five of the eight LAV’s. All other ships were “damaged” to one degree or another but overall it was a successful as well as educational training exercise. Which for the women and girls of 35th CTG and especially the 352nd CRURON proved invaluable as we just received our marching orders; we are going back to Goddard. As well as the new RAG for the 35th Aerospace Group, a Lady Barbara Foster-Parker, she was a direct result of the shellacking the mere CRURON did to the CARON.